ST. LOUIS (AP) — Randal Grichuk and Paul DeJong homered and the St. Louis Cardinals stretched their winning streak to eight games with a 6-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.

Carlos Martinez (9-9) tossed six solid innings and also drove in a run for the Cardinals, who moved within 1/2 game of the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

Brandon Phillips homered for Atlanta, which lost its fifth in a row.

The eight-game run is the longest for St. Louis since the Cardinals won eight in a row April 28-May 5, 2015.

Grichuk hit his 15th homer of the season in the second to tie the game 2-all. He also added a double in a three-run outburst in the fifth.

DeJong led off the seventh with his team-high 17th home run.

Martinez gave up three earned runs and seven hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked one. His run-scoring single in the fifth pushed the lead to 4-2.

Trevor Rosenthal picked up his 11th save in 13 tries. He gave up a two-out bases-loaded single to Freddie Freeman in the ninth before striking out Nick Markakis with two runners in scoring position to end the game.

Tyler Lyons chipped in with two innings of scoreless relief.

Lucas Sims (0-3), in just his third major league start, surrendered four earned runs and 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Dexter Fowler added two hits for St. Louis and Kolten Wong extended his hitting streak to seven games with a fifth-inning single.

Atlanta jumped to a 2-0 lead on a bases-loaded single by Kurt Suzuki in the first.

HAPPY MEMORIES

The Cardinals' 1987 NL championship team was honored before Saturday's game. Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith threw out the first pitch to outfielder Willie McGee.

Minnesota beat St. Louis in seven games in the 1987 World Series.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cardinals: INF Jedd Gyorko was a late scratch from Saturday's starting lineup due to right knee soreness. He is listed as day-to-day.

UP NEXT:

RHP Michael Wacha (9-4, 3.70) will face RHP R.A. Dickey (7-7, 4.03) in the finale of the three-game series on Sunday. Wacha is 6-0 in 10 career starts in August, the only active pitcher in the majors with a perfect record in the month with at least 10 starts. Dickey is 3-1 with a 4.38 ERA in six career starts against St. Louis.

Now the NFL's highest-paid running back, Devonta Freeman looked the part in a brief appearance Thursday night, scoring on a 15-yard reception from Matt Ryan as the Atlanta Falcons lost to the Miami Dolphins 23-20...

Odubel Herrera continued to feast on Atlanta pitching by driving in a run with two triples in the Philadelphia Phillies' 3-2 victory on Wednesday night that completed their third series sweep of the Braves this season...

Paul DeJong had two doubles with three RBIs and Randal Grichuk tripled and drove in two as the surging St. Louis Cardinals held off the Atlanta Braves 8-5 on Friday night to win their season-high seventh straight game...

Odubel Herrera continued to feast on Atlanta pitching by driving in a run with two triples in the Philadelphia Phillies' 3-2 victory on Wednesday night that completed their third series sweep of the Braves this season...

Odubel Herrera hit a two-run homer, Zach Eflin pitched seven strong innings following his recall from the minors, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat Atlanta 5-2 on Tuesday night to continue their season-long mastery of the Braves...